The Swiss artist came up with the Face-o-mat concept in 2012, winning the 2013 Golden Prize in the Swedish illustration competition ‘Kolla’! and a nomination for the Swiss Design Awards in 2014.

My goal is to visually interpret the sound of a person, rather than what I see on the surface. —Tobias Gutmann

The Face-o-mat is essentially an analog vending machine (made out of cardboard or wood) that Gutmann sits behind to draw his subjects.

Viewing them through a rectangular cut-out, which serves as a frame of reference, he then processes their faces into abstract art and feeds the final product through a slot to the other side.

Photo: Courtesy of Tobias Gutmann

Popping up in museums, art festivals and galleries worldwide, the Face-o-mat has already been in Papua New Guinea, Japan and France last year, and its next stop will be Art Central Hong Kong this month.